Students from Cullman High School and Holly Pond High School were participants in the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneur Academy for the 2017-2018 school year, and presented plans for new businesses at the YEA Investor Panel Thursday night.

Investment dollars were up for grabs for a group of young entrepreneurs Thursday night as participants from the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy presented business plans to a panel of local investors. 

YEA participants, made up students from Holly Pond and Cullman High Schools, presented their plans in Cullman High’s Tillman Hall in a format similar to the television show “Shark Tank.”

The YEA program is a year-long business program that teaches the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Students made presentations that included many topics taught over a year, including market research, potential competitors and the costs of supplies and production. 

Investors included representatives from AGCOR Steel, American Proteins, Stewart Auto Supply, First Community Bank, In-N-Out Self Storage and Premier Bank.

Out of the 11 businesses presented to the panel, Instruct Inc., a tutoring service focusing on hobbies and skills created by Cullman’s Parker Van Dyke and Zane Manly, was the big winner of the night, earning a $1,000 investment and assistance in setting up a website.

Van Dyke and Manly will travel to the Saunders Scholars Competition in New York City to represent Cullman County and present their new business to national representatives of the YEA program.

Van Dyke and Manly said they were honored by the investment in their company and their selection to represent the county on a national stage.

“We’re very proud to have been selected,” Van Dyke said.

Lindsey Lowery, a student at Cullman High School, also received an investment for her fudge shop, Pixie Fudge. Her business received a $500 investment towards inventory and a free booth at every month of the Chamber’s 2nd Fridays 2018 events. 

“It feels amazing,” she said. “I’m really excited to get this opportunity to get my name and business out there.”

Other businesses that received investments were:

Lawn Defender, a lawn care service created by Holly Pond’s T.J. Fallin: $200 to be used for a course of Dave Ramsey’s Entrepreleadership program. 

Squeez’em’s Lemonade, created by Cullman’s Jake MacAfee, Trey Tucker and Will Morrison: $200 to go towards inventory and a free booth at 2nd Fridays.

Worship Warrior, a faith-based t-shirt company created by Cullman’s Averi Wallace and Hannah Sanchez: $300 to go towards inventory, assistance in forming an LLC and a free booth at 2nd Fridays.

Cullman Personal Carriers, a food/grocery delivery service created by Cullman’s Brock Story: a $450 investment and assistance in setting up a company credit card. 

Chamber of Commerce Director of Entrepreneurship & Education Wesley Smith said he was impressed by the presentation and effort put forward by every student in the YEA program, and said it has been great to watch their ideas grow from a blank slate into a full business plan over the school year. 

“Without their effort, it wouldn’t be what it is,” he said. “It’s really neat and I’m excited for them.”

Smith said the program will be expanding in its second year, and will be available to every student, including homeschooled students, in Cullman County next fall.

To apply for the YEA program or to learn more information, email Smith at wsmith@cullmanchamber.org.